


The Baby on the Doorstep

by 10thWeasley14



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Baby Harry, First Night, Good Petunia Dursley, Petunia reflections
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-23 16:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8334640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10thWeasley14/pseuds/10thWeasley14
Summary: Filling in the gaps about what Petunia was thinking about when she found the baby on the doorstep.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is on Fanfiction.net under the same title. I wrote it in 2008 when I was in Middle School and it has had minimal editing since then. I'm sorry for the odd formatting, this is my first time posting on Ao3

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form.

* * *

    Petunia Dursley woke up on November 2,1981 after a night of tossing and turning. She turned to look at the clock and saw it was 5:30; her husband Vernon would be getting up in a half hour and it was about her time to get up. As she walked downstairs, she thought about why she had such a troubled night sleep. It was quite silly really, but she couldn't stop thinking about the strange news report and Vernon wondering about her sister, could they really be connected? She had heard Freaks like her sister communicated through owls, but that didn't mean the strange sightings of owls flying during the day connect with her sister. What bothered her the most though, was why Vernon had mentioned Lily. He knew talking about Lily was a sore subject for Petunia, he had even mentioned Petunia's nephew Harry! Such a nasty common name... As she got ready for the day, she tried to focus on other things. In a weeks time her little Dudley was going to have his first tea with some of Petunia's friends and their sons and Petunia had a long list of things to do. By the time Petunia had gotten downstairs, the thoughts of her sister were gone and were now replaced by a long list of errands she had to complete that day. It all came rushing back though when Petunia opened the front door to get the milk bottles. Sitting beside the dairy products was a basket with a baby. Petunia's eyes widen as she saw a letter curled in the baby's hand, it was addressed to her in a familiar handwriting. Handwriting she hadn't seen in 11 years, the handwriting of Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

 

Petunia immediately brought the baby inside, not wanting the neighbors to see, and laid the baby on the couch in the living room and sat down to read the letter.

_Dear Mrs. Dursley,_

_I'm sorry that I have to report to you the grave news of the death of your sister and brother-in-law, Lily and James Potter. Their son Harry lives and lies in the basket accompanying this letter. James and Lily were brave and valiant people fighting against an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort who has been plaguing the wizarding world for eleven years, many people have fought against Voldemort, but none as hard as Lily and James. Many people, including myself are mourning their death and we all are deeply saddened. James tried to fight off Voldemort to give time for Lily and Harry to run, but alas Voldemort was more powerful and James was killed. When Voldemort found Lily, she sacrificed herself for Harry. Therefore she instilled in Harry an ancient magic that keeps him protected wherever Lily's blood still lives. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry, he somehow failed and disappeared. I believe Voldemort is still alive, weak and powerless, but alive. Voldemort has many followers who might want to finish what their master started and kill Harry. There is only one place in this world where Harry is completely safe and that is your house, where Lily's blood resides in you. I ask you to take Harry in and treat him as a second son. The fate of Harry's life rests in your hand. I ask you think this over and if in a week's time you decide not to take in Harry you may send a letter addressed plainly to Albus Dumbledore through regular post. Then I will come and find another solution to Harry's protection. -Albus Dumbledore_

       Petunia was shocked at what she had read; random phrases from Dumbledore's letter echoed in her head: _"Death of your sister and brother-in-law, Lily and James Potter"_ … _"Take Harry in and treat him as a second son."_ …. _"The fate of Harry's life rests in your hand"_. The letter was too much to handle. She laid the letter down on the table and looked at Harry. It was the first time she had really looked at him and she noticed a lighting-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, She guessed it was from the attack. The baby before her opened his eyes and Petunia realized she was looking into the emerald eyes of her sister. The baby blinked and then smiled, he didn't know this was his Aunt or that his mom and dad were gone or that his whole life was changing all he knew was that he was awake and ready to be held, but Petunia wasn't ready to hold him, she wasn't ready to commit to him.

* * *

Her mind began to wander and she remembered the day when Lily had received her letter. It had started as a normal day, 13 year old Petunia and her family were planning to go spend a day down on the coast and have a picnic, something they did every summer before school started. Petunia was helping her mom make some sandwiches while her dad was packing the car. 10 year old Lily was watching TV in the living room....

_"I got the mail for you mom!" Lily came into the kitchen holding the mail high above her head. "Aw, thank you sweetheart!" Mrs. Evans cried. Petunia rolled her eyes and put the last of the sandwiches in a wicker basket. As Mrs. Evans looked through the mail she found a letter addressed to her daughter, Lily. "Lily it looks like you have a letter here" Lily skipped over immediately to open the letter. It was a very odd looking letter with a crest stamped on the back. As Lily read the letter, her eyes got wider and wider, finally she looked up at her mum and simply said, "Read this"._

_Mrs. Evans took the letter from her daughter's hand and just like her daughter her eyes got wider and wider as she read. Finally she looked up and said "Petunia dear, please go tell your father to come inside and then take your little sister outside to play in the garden" Petunia took her shaken little sister's hand and found her dad at the car, "Dad, mum wants to see you inside". She then picked up the kickball in the yard and promptly bounced it to her younger sister. But Lily didn't pick up the ball, she just looked up at her older sister, "Petunia, do you remember when we were at the park the other day and that Snape boy called me a witch?" Petunia remembered it well, it was only last weekend. "Yea, what about it? Did that letter call you a witch too?" Lily looked down and began kicking the ball around her feet, "Well, yea basically it said I'm a witch and it's a good thing to be one. It's all like Snape said. I've been invited to go to a wizarding school called Hogwarts, it's a year around school and we come home for the summer and holidays. We learn how to become proper witches and wizards and how to harness our powers. All that weird stuff I've been doing all these years? Its magic, I'm a witch!" Petunia just stared. Her little sister was a witch? She might leave her to go to a school for witches? Although Lily got on her nerves a lot, they were close. "Do you want to go?" was all Petunia could say. "Well I think it would fun and it would mean I'd be around people just like me."_ _Lily replied._

* * *

Petunia's mind then thought of another memory, the day she wrote to Professor Dumbledore to ask if she could tag along with her sister to Hogwarts.

_Her sister and parents were at some place called Diagon Alley with a trained wizard buying Lily's school supplies for Hogwarts. Petunia was sitting in her room, thinking that the only reason she wasn't a witch too was because only Freaks like Lily were witches, but deep down she knew the only reason she thought this was because secretly she wanted to go to Hogwarts too, Then an idea came to her, a simply brilliant idea! Why didn't she just write to the headmaster of this school Lily was going to and ask if she could come....what was his name again?_ _Dumbledore, That was it! Petunia got out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write. After a half hour of deliberating and writing, she put down her pen and reread what she had written._

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_My name is Petunia Evans, a couple weeks ago you wrote my sister, Lily Evans and said she could come to your wizarding school and I was wondering, could I come too? I know that would mean I would have to be a witch too, but if she's a witch and a related to me, doesn't it mean I'm a witch too? I would train really hard and make a good witch. Please write me back._

_Sincerely and with thanks,_

_Petunia Evans_

_Petunia finished reading and thought it sounded pretty good, but now how to send it? She didn't know the address of the school. She decided she would just send it out with regular mail and hope it got it to him_." _Petunia we're home!" She heard her little sister call, she quickly thrust the letter into her desk and went downstairs to greet her returning family._

* * *

     Suddenly Petunia heard rustling coming from upstairs and she snapped out of her past. Vernon was getting up and was going to come downstairs and of course he would see baby Harry on the table. Vernon had a short temper and it was too early in the morning for Petunia to deal with it. Petunia put Harry in the cupboard under the stairs to hide him. She had made her decision, she would keep Harry. She may not have been close to her sister when they were adults, but it was still her nephew and she wouldn't leave him unprotected. She wouldn't treat him like her own son and she would make sure Dudley would always have more then Harry to compensate, but he would have shelter and protection. Hopefully she could stomp the magic out of him by the time he received his letter, she wouldn't be able to stand it if he became a Freak like his parents...After all being freaks is what put them all in this mess in the first place. Being a Freak is what got her sister killed.

     "Good morning my love!" Petunia had just barely gotten Harry in the cupboard when Vernon Dursley came down the stairs. "Hello dear," Petunia said. "Do you have anything going on this morning at the office? I have to talk to you about a serious matter." Vernon looked oddly at his wife; the last time she had asked to talk to him about a serious matter she had told him she was pregnant with Dudley. "I don't think I have anything major going on this morning, I can take the morning off." He followed his wife into the kitchen and sat down. "Vernon, you know how my sister and her husband had a son? You mentioned him last night" Petunia could see he was confused; it was odd for her to bring up her sister voluntarily. "Yes, you said his name was Harry and about Dudley's age".

      "Well this morning when I went to get the milk, I discovered something." Petunia gave her husband the letter from Dumbledore and went to retrieve Harry from the cupboard. When she got back in the kitchen with Harry she saw that Vernon was very pale. Is that him?" Vernon asked. "Yes, it is" Petunia put the basket on the table so Vernon could see Harry. He looked at the baby for a moment and then turned his attention to Petunia. "Well, what are you thinking?" he asked her. Petunia knew Vernon wouldn't want to keep Harry. To Vernon it was just another mouth to feed, to Petunia Harry was the last part of Lily she had. " I think we should keep him," She told her husband.

* * *

       Vernon looked like he had just been hit on the side of the head. "Keep him!" he exclaimed "Petunia, do you realize how much it would cost us to keep him?! It would be one more mouth, one more education. These things are expensive!" Petunia could see Vernon might explode at any minute and that if he did it would wake up Dudley and then they would never be able to finish their conversation. "Yes I realize that, but we don't have to treat him like a prince! We can send him to public schools that don't cost anything and then let him pay for college on his own; education is taken care of! In terms of food we could just give him small servings, less then what we eat and small enough not to cost us much more in food, and he looks like he'll be smaller then Dudley so we can just give him Dudley's old clothes." Vernon seemed to think this over and then looked down at Harry. Harry was wide awake and staring all around taking in this new scenery. Finally after what seemed like years to Petunia, he looked back up at her. "What if he turns out to be a Freak like his mom and dad? I highly doubt you want that." "Of course I don't want another person like my sister. I say we just make sure he grows up not knowing about this, we'll tell him his parents died in a car accident and completely ignore the fact his parents were abnormal." Petunia hoped this would be good enough for Vernon and for the moment, it seemed like it would.

          "What about that school you once mentioned to me.. the one your sister went to where she meet her husband. Can't we send the boy there?" Vernon inquired "You can't go to the school until you're eleven and even then in the summers he would still have to come back," Petunia replied, surprised her husband had remember that conversation. "Why do you want to keep the boy anyway? He's just a reminder of you're sister isn't he?" Vernon said, Petunia was hoping her husband wouldn't ask that question. Even though that was the exact reason she wanted to keep Harry, she didn't think her husband would understand, so she came up with an alternative answer. "You read what this Dumbledore man said, this house is the only safe place for him. I may not have liked my sister that much but I'm not going to allow Harry to go unprotected. He's still human no matter how freakish his parents were. And maybe if we raise him right, they'll be one less of their kind in this world."

This answer seemed to stand for Vernon. "Well, we'll keep him but if he turns out like your sister he's leaving!" and with that, Vernon set up a pot of tea and left to go get the morning paper.

* * *

          As he left the kitchen Petunia promised herself she would never tell him the real reason she wanted to keep Harry, Vernon would never understand how much Lily had really meant to her. Petunia put Harry into one of Dudley's old high chairs and was just about to get him some breakfast when she heard Dudley cry upstairs. She knew this was about the time he would be getting hungry, so she went ahead and got out his current highchair and placed it beside Harry. As she was walking up the stairs to go get Dudley, she realized the presence of Harry might be a hard thing for Dudley to grasp, she knew Harry would be in for a rough couple of weeks as his cousin poked and prodded him.

         "Good morning sweetness!" she greeted her little boy. "Your cousin is here! He's going to live with us now, but don't worry, you'll always my little Duddykins!" Her son smiled recognizing the nickname is mother was so fond of. Petunia lifted him up out of his cradle and carried him downstairs. When she got downstairs, she found Vernon measuring the cupboard under the stairs to see if Dudley's old cot would fit in it for Harry. Petunia put Dudley in his highchair beside Harry and began making breakfast for the two babies. She laid some cheerios and some chopped fruit in front of them, making sure Dudley had a bigger portion. Dudley was looking at his new cousin, almost like he was sizing him up; Harry seemed unperturbed by his cousin and was quietly eating the food in front of him.

         Petunia was amazed, she had never seen Dudley eat his food like this. Dudley was always messy and throwing tantrums, it was a nice surprise to see a baby eat like this. Petunia sighed as she turned back from getting tea, Dudley had spilled his fruit on the floor and was stuffing his face with all of his cheerios. Petunia rushed over, "Now sweetie, we don't stuff our faces like that! We could choke!" She pried open Dudley's hand and took the cheerios from them. This caused Dudley to have a fit and he started shouting a word he had just learned yesterday "Won't, Won't, Won't!" Petunia decided breakfast was over and took Dudley to the living room to watch his favorite TV show.

       She then went to retrieve Harry who was still eating his breakfast. Petunia decided he was done eating and picked him up; she suddenly got a whiff of something foul and realized it was Harry's diaper. So she took him up to Dudley's nursery to change him, but when she got to his diaper she found a surprise. On the diaper was what seemed to be a logo, it was a black speeding cannon ball with double 'C's underneath it and the words Chudley Cannons. She wondered what it could be, some idiotic thing in the world of Freaks she decided. She went on changing his diaper and finally she put on a normal diaper with zoo animals on it and took him downstairs. She plopped Harry down into the playpen and took out all the toys except the ratty ones Dudley never played with and put the other ones in front of Dudley who was happily watching TV, Well at least Dudley's not throwing any fits over Harry, Petunia thought. Then with her mind somewhat at ease she sat down to fold the laundry.


End file.
